Down to business - Christina Hollis

Writing must be the perfect job, but isn’t without its problems. In the days of manual typewriters, irritations like forgetting to put in a sheet of carbon paper to make a copy, or aching wrists from thumping away at sit-up-and-beg keys were constant niggles. Then came computers. Uninterruptable power supplies and memory sticks ought to make power surges and lost documents a thing of the past. The trouble is, they rely on the human factor: that nut behind the keyboard!

Ernest Hemingway said hopeful authors should apply the seat of their pants to the seat of their chair and get on with it. That leads to the greatest pitfall of all. A combination of lack of exercise and working at the kitchen table is a recipe for disaster. It’s so easy to reach for a little something during all that ‘thinking time’. When he visits the filling station, my darling OH often picks up a slab of cherry cake or bar of chocolate. Who could resist that? Not me! There aren’t any exercise facilities near where we live, and though I love walking, the temptation to write just one more paragraph/get to the end of the scene or see what might happen next means any opportunity slips away down a black hole. Before I know it, there’s no time to walk anywhere beyond the village school, to pick up my son. That isn’t enough to keep unwanted pounds away. I try and restrict the number of treats I eat, but it’s very hard. That’s why I love including food and parties in my writing. My book One Night In His Bed featured a steamy scene over homemade pasta. In the story I’m working on at the moment, the hero Alessandro has his chef prepare a delicious cake for heroine Michelle. My next release, Her Ruthless Italian Boss, has the dreamy setting of Venice and features a masked ball with free-flowing champagne and all sorts of treats. It was great fun to write, and I hope you enjoy it!

There’s a competition running on my website, http://www.christinahollis.com/, to win signed copies of my books and a recipe for nid d’abeilles. My sister used to work in a smart French patisserie, and once made one for me as a birthday cake. I woke next morning a year older and several pounds heavier. Ah, the trials of research!

Happy Mother's Day from Sandy Blair

Parent-child relationships have proved rich fodder for writers since biblical times. Today, there seems to be a plethora of contemporary authors focusing on mother-daughter relationships, more so than any others. Is this because women read more books than men do today? Perhaps.

Or is it because more women are being published today, and authors tend to write what they know?

Jane Austin exposed many a maternal foible and child’s resultant angst in Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibilities. Today’s novelists continue to explore this family strife with books like The Red Tent, My Sister’s Keeper, and Bridget Jones’s Diary as do screen writers with films like The Ya Ya Sisterhood, Steel Magnolias, and The Jane Austin Book Club..

So, why all this angst between mothers and daughters? I have a pet theory.

Human females are cyclic, hormonal animals. As mothers go into menopause, their daughters are usually entering estrus. Not a good combination. Since alpha females tend to influence other females’ cycles within their household, the result is a mega load of hormones careening around four walls causing many a voice to rise and many a tear to flow. Is this nature’s way of insuring our chicks flee their comfy nests in timely fashion to bring forth the next generation? I strongly suspect so.

And in this process we often forgive but rarely forget…wherein the conflict lies.

The good news: Daughters do grow up and often become mothers. Finally understanding what you were trying to accomplish, they send you flowers on Mother’s Day with a note saying, “Thank you.”

So what book or movie touched your heart? Did you see yourself and your mother in?

Sandy, the mother of Alex and identical twins, Rachael and Rebecca

http://www.sandblair.net/

A Highlander For Christmas, Zebra, available now

Contests, Contests, Contests!

by Anna Campbell

There's so many chances for you all to win prizes this month!

Firstly, I'm running a Harlequin Presents contest through my website. I cleaned out the prize cupboard and came across some great signed HPs that I'd love to give away. So many, in fact, that I'm giving away two prizes of four books each. The books are:

THE GREEK TYCOON'S UNEXPECTED WIFE by Annie West
THE BOSS'S CHRISTMAS BABY by Trish Morey
THE SPANIARD'S DEFIANT VIRGIN by Jennie Lucas
ONE-NIGHT LOVE CHILD by Anne McAllister (signed bookmark)

All you need to do is pop by my website and answer a simple question. Good luck!

Sophia Nash is giving away a signed copy of UNTOUCHED, my second book, in her May contest. You just need to call by her website and answer a question. And while you're there, check out the great excerpt from her latest release THE KISS.

Jennie Lucas is offering two signed copies of CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, my first book which she called "her absolute favorite romance she's read all year". Just visit her website and, you've got it, answer a simple question.

Finally in this cornucopia of giveaways, the Romance Bandits blog, my regular gig, is a year old this month and our readers get to celebrate. We're giving away a whole stack of prizes including books, book vouchers, Romance Bandits goodies, chocolates and critiques. Details here.

Have you ever won anything amazing in a contest? I won a box of Beatles LPs once in a contest through our local newspaper by finishing the song title A Hard Day's... Which is a bit of a no-brainer!

Goodies from Greece - Annie West

My mind has been in Greece. That’s a bit of a problem since the rest of me is in Australia, but there you go. Perhaps it’s because my latest book is set in Greece (The Greek Tycoon’s Unexpected Wife is a Harlequin Presents release in mid May, labelled under the new logo ‘Presents Extra’). Or maybe it’s because my mind wanders to things I like when I’m supposed to be working. Over the years I’ve discovered so many tempting things from Greece.

Greek food – yes – I HAVE to start with food! I hadn’t discovered the joys of Greek food until I made my first visit to that country. Now I’m a fan of most Greek cuisine, from a simple meal of fresh fish washed down with local retsina to the well known souvlakia (skewered lamb), moussaka (layered eggplant with sauce), baked vegetables stuffed with rice, salads etc. My first sight of a Zacharoplasteion or Greek sweet shop stopped me in my tracks. Cases and cases filled with sweet treats. Baklava (filo pastry layered with almonds and walnuts, cinnamon and sugar, soaking in sweet syrup and dusted with crushed pistachios). Nut rolls (similar but in neat little rolls). Kataifi (rolls of stuffed shredded filo pastry in syrup). Plus all sorts of treats made with raisins, nuts, cinnamon and cream. Far too many to describe but Wow!

On the food theme (what, me obsessed?) let’s not forget halvas (a Greek treat made with semolina – sounds dull, but wait till you try it) and loukoumia (the Greek version of Turkish delight). Double yum.

Greek islands – I love the Greek islands. And as there are so many I think trying to see them all might take me a lifetime or more. From Crete with its rugged mountains and prehistoric sites, to Rhodes with its fantastic medieval city. Karpathos where I had the best bread ever, baked in an outdoor oven (sorry, food again), while looking past old fashioned windmills down to the sea. Hydra with its perfect little harbour and Santorini with amazing cliff top views over a volcanic caldera (which some believe to be the source of the Atlantis myth). I have a list of a few others I want to visit. It will take me years...

Greek music – perhaps this is an acquired taste, but I love it. Of course there’s bouzouki music but there’s a lot more too. Did you know there are Greek bagpipes? Personally I like the dance music and Rembetiko (a sort of urban blues).

Ancient Greek jewellery – one of the benefits of being a classics student was that I had to visit the museums in Greece. Don’t let anyone tell you they’re full of boring stone inscriptions. Well, they are, but there are other wondrous things too. Like the gold wreaths made for Philip of Macedon and his family. There’s one of oak leaves and acorns, all solid gold, and so incredibly fine it looks about the thickness of real oak leaves. And in Crete, check out the ancient Minoan jewellery. I particularly enjoyed the seal rings (one of which inspired Stavros’ family ring in The Greek Tycoon’s Unexpected Wife). It’s no coincidence that my hero is the head of a fine jewellery house that produces fabulous pieces fit for royalty.


Greek Embroidery – maybe not an obvious choice, but definitely outstanding. I’ve spent happy hours looking at fine needlework produced in different regions of Greece. I've even tried my hand at some and it was worth the effort. For anyone interested in sewing, or just looking at beautiful things, check this out. The Benaki Museum in Athens is an excellent place to start.

Greek monasteries – I could write a whole blog about these alone, but maybe one picture will suffice. Spectacular!

I’m in danger of spending too long here and not returning to the current book I’m supposed to be writing. So, I’ll stop and hope I’ve whetted your appetite for some of Greece’s treasures.

Do you have a favorite goodie from Greece too? Or something you’ve always wanted to see there? Or, have you discovered a treasure somewhere completely different that you’ve visited and want to share with us? (I’m always interested in learning about new places to put on my must visit list!).

Warm regards,
Annie

Annie’s latest North American release The Greek Tycoon’s Unexpected Wife is on sale in shops from late May and is out now at eHarlequin or Amazon. To read an excerpt or enter Annie’s contest to win this latest release and two other new Aussie releases, visit her website.



Annie’s other current release The Billionaire’s Bought Mistress is published in the anthology Mills and Boon Presents... available only in the UK - try Amazon UK

Celebrating Kate!

One of the great joys of writing is the long hours holed up alone in the garret -- no, wait, that's not it.

One of the real great joys of writing is the people you meet when you are NOT holed up in the garret with the imaginary people who are helping you make your living.

They are fine, of course. And handsome, frequently. But generally not restful and easy to be with. They take managing (or don't take it, which is often worse).

No, the real joy is the real flesh-and-blood friends you make -- other writers often -- who make your world a richer, brighter, more colorful (or as some would say, colourful) place.

There have been quite a few such wonderful writers in my life -- and one of them is having a birthday today.

So, please join me in wishing a very happy birthday -- and many more -- to the warm, wonderful, witty (and ever so occasionally wild) Kate Walker.

Kate, as most of you know, has written a lot of books, given countless hours of reading pleasure to millions of people in languages she doesn't even speak --much less write in -- all over the world. She's also a terrific teacher of writing, as many wannabes and gonnabes know.

Actually there are now quite a few plain old "be"s whose books are on the shelves who owe much of their publishing success to Kate's wisdom, so they're pretty fond of her, too.

Those who are interested in learning from a pro should take a look at her new Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. You won't be sorry.

What can I say about Kate?

She's the person I would most like to trail around Grasmere with in a pouring rain while she's suffering and ill because she absolutely never complains. She's the one who will take dictation from a cat and send long missives (he's pretty wordy) to all his friends and fans without once thinking she has better things to do.

She will trudge through the back streets of beautiful downtown Millom looking for dead relatives' old houses (who aren't even her dead relatives) and act like she's having a perfectly good time.

She will track down and send any book or dvd or document that you think you might want/need/fancy no matter how obscure because that's the kind of friend she is.

She even -- and if this isn't real friendship, I don't know what is -- shared Hugh-in-a-towel with me for our Australia and New Zealand Romance Writers Convention jaunt. She actually let me bring him home afterwards (well, she said she had another, but that doesn't detract from the generosity of the act).

What more can you ask?

So here's to Kate -- a wonderful writer, a fabulous friend, a mother of cats, a champion of hedgehogs!

Happy birthday, dear Kate!

The Animals We Love

I don’t have children, but I do fill my life with animals. If you’ve ever looked at my website, you’ve seen pictures of my dog Star and my cat Eddie Munster. I think animals bring a lot of joy into our lives. They love you unconditionally. Yes, even cats! Eddie has to sit on my lap every night when I watch TV. Star needs her fifteen minutes of petting before she can go to sleep. Um, yes, they sleep on the bed. Pets also filter into my writing. In my story Somebody’s Ex (which appeared in Somebody’s Lover), my heroine Randi had a Norwegian Elkhound just like Star. She even gave the dog Norwegian commands. In It Must Be Magic, which was a Jennifer Skully release in 2007, my heroine’s cat played a very prominent role. Lili could talk to animals and her next door neighbor’s cat tells her that he saw a murder out in the woods. Of course Lili has to solve the crime, with the help of her two cat friends (and her hunky next door neighbor). Her cat Einstein was very snarky and very fun to write. Einstein was a lot like my Eddie Munster. I imagine that’s exactly how Eddie would sound if he could actually talk to me, oh wait, I mean if I could understand him. Because he does talk to me. So you can see that animals are an integral part of my life and my writing. I’d love to hear about your pets.

Jasmine Haynes, Show and Tell, Coming July 2008.
http://www.skullybuzz.com/

Who is He? - Susanna Carr

I remember the first time I saw Daniel Craig on screen. I was watching a British TV movie called The Ice House. The moment I saw him I leaned forward in my chair and asked, “Who is he?” to no one in particular. I don’t know what it was about him that made such an impression on me, but to this day, I’ll watch a movie because it has Daniel Craig in it.

The same thing happened to me last night with another actor. There I was, watching a DVD of an Agatha Christie TV movie and once again I’m leaning forward in my chair and asking, “Who is he?” Since I was in the room alone, no one was going to reply.

I continue to watch the movie, unable to get enough of this actor. Who cared about the murder mystery plot? Give me more of this guy! His character was dangerous and mesmerizing, and finally I had to visit IMDB.com and find out who he was. It turns out to be an actor named Elliot Cowen. Wow. I can’t wait to see more of him.

Ever watch a TV show or movie and find an actor completely irresistible? Who is he?

Susanna

http://www.susannacarr.com/

Coffee Shop Research - Nancy Warren

I think about love a lot. It’s my job as a romance writer, after all, but I’m endlessly fascinated by couples. What attracts two people to each other? Why this one, and not that one? In my wonder and curiosity for how the process works, I spend a lot of time covertly studying couples in coffee shops, restaurants and public places like airports. I often go to coffee shops to write -- so a good day of people watching usually means a sucky day of word production. But when I watch two people together, I like to guess what their relationship is, and, if it’s a love affair, where they are in the course of it.

There’s a scene in the movie When Harry Met Sally that takes place at an airport where Harry watches with interest as Sally passionately kisses her boyfriend good bye. Billy Crystal, as Harry, is able to guess, pretty accurately, how many weeks Meg Ryan’s Sally has been going out with the new guy based on the heat of the kiss and the fact that her lover is still interested enough to drove her to the airport. It’s a funny scene, and makes me think that screenwriter Nora Ephron is another voyeur. But then I think all writers are. Richard Curtis, who wrote Love, Actually has my favorite airport scene. If you watch the final scene of Love, Actually, it ends at Heathrow and we see glimpses of the couples we’ve been following throughout the movie, but then the camera turns to random strangers, embracing, laughing, crying. More and more of them, until the screen is filled with tiny films of strangers embracing those they love. I adore that scene with its quick, intimate peeks into lives we’ll never know.

In The One I Want, my Kensington Brava that just came out this week, I finally got to use some of my coffee shop ‘research’. I have a scene where my heroine, Chloe, who is starting The Break Up Artist, a business breaking up relationships that aren’t working, is at the mall having a quick coffee in the food court and observes a couple getting engaged. Getting engaged in the food court? Of course she can’t take her eyes off the intimate drama. She’s joined by her annoying (but very hot) landlord, an ex-cop and trained observer and they both watch the scene play out. Afterward, they have a bet about what really happened and, naturally, Chloe, the woman who understands the heart wins the bet over Matthew, the guy who doesn’t see so well below the surface of things. It was a fun scene to write and I suppose gets at the heart of the book. Love is always a mystery, and often the truth isn’t what appears on the surface, but what’s hidden deep down where the authentic self lives.

Have you ever done that? Watched a couple and been able to read the unspoken clues of body language, facial expression, eye contact, even the way they’ve dressed for each other? It’s amazing what people reveal about themselves and their hearts. And thank God for that, they sure make the romance writer’s job easier!

Have a great day,

Nancy
http://www.nancywarren.net/

Where Did My Words Go?

Somewhere along the way I lost my facility with words. It was right around the time I had children. If you’re not a parent, you might not know about the post-partum phenomenon of fuzzy mommy brain (not a technical term, but a decent description IMHO). I think part of the syndrome is hormonal, although I have no scientific evidence to back that up.

Beyond the possible hormone connection, the bigger part of my post-pregnancy verbal issues was simply a lack of practice with words. After working hard at my Master’s program (in English lit, keep in mind) and teaching English at the college level, I was glad to take a little time off after I had a few kids. In fact, I was thrilled. My days consisted of Sesame Street and taking long walks while pushing a stroller, and that was quite alright with me. Problem was, I had next to no adult conversation during that time period and I certainly didn’t have any deep, thoughtful conversations that required meaningful contemplation.

Let’s face it, when you’re knee deep in diapers and truckloads of laundry, it’s all you can do sometimes to catch a shower during the day let alone find time for intellectual stimulation. So I forgive myself for going a bit brain dead during that time. But it’s scary when you’re use to expressing yourself intelligently and all of the sudden you find yourself pausing for long moments during a phone conversation, unable to find the right word. My family would try guessing what I wanted to say since I lost all talent for formulating a thought into words. Sometimes I’d wake up from a nap three hours after a phone conversation like that and the word I’d wanted would come to me. Talk about slow processing time!

After a few of those incidents, I realized what was happening. Verbal facility isn’t like riding a bike where, once you learn, you never forget. A flare with words is a skill that requires exercise. Practice. Immersion. And as much as I loved Sesame Street, Elmo wasn’t working with me at the verbal level I needed to stay sharp.

I started reading more. Working on the occasional crossword puzzle. But most of all, I used my new epiphany to get back to writing. I’d started a novel around the time I started grad school but then got away from it as I got busy with course work. Now that I’d taken a bit of a breather, I got out my old notes from the project and pursued it in earnest.

It didn’t take long before my words came back, helped along by daily writing and by meeting writer friends who wanted to talk about characters, conflicts and plots. I immersed myself in language and stories all over again and it was like coming home. I felt recharged and rejuvenated, intelligent and whole once more.

*** Did you ever have those space-out moments as a new mom or has anyone close to you gone through the fuzzy brain months? Share your experiences on the board for a chance to win Joanne’s sexy new May Blaze, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. Winner chosen at random from all posters.

What does it - Trish Wylie

I've been writing for the UK's Modern Heat line for eighteen months now and in May my fifth book Claimed By The Billionaire Bad Boy hits the shelves. This one taught me something. It taught me that it would seem I find hard working guys sexier than a man in a suit... and a combination of both? Cold shower anyone?

In the States I think you call them Blue Collar workers, yes? Over here they're just workmen - plumbers, chippies, bricklayers... and having had the experience of living next to building sites a lot I can tell you that some of them - not that sexy. No Diet Coke break guys round my way. Unfortunately. And yet when I started writing for the Modern Heat line there was nothing as hot on the page for me as the kind of guy who was good with his hands both in AND out of the bedroom.

Which kinda begs the question of what fantasy it taps into... What IS the magic ingredient?

We all know that romance's are all about the fantasy and the escapism and it's a proven fact that Harlequin titles with the words Billionaire or Millionaire or Tycoon or even Boss are all firm favourites with readers. But what about a guy who'd built his fortune out of the office/boardroom environment? Let's take Gabe in Claimed By The Billionaire Bad Boy as an example; Gabe owns a huge construction firm and a property company - he built them from the ground up, literally. As a teenager he started working on construction sites and then he put crews together and so on and so on. He's a rich guy. He owns the company. But at heart he's still that practical guy who dresses down and goes out to do the manual labour when it needs done. Does this make him more or less sexy? Does it feed the fantasy or not?

In my May Presents release Her Bedroom Surrender (a Modern Heat gone Stateside) I have another one. Rory owns a chain of Gym/Health Club businesses with his younger brother. He's the boss. He's well off. BUT he only does it part time cos in order to fund the set up of the businesses he's been working as a Body Guard in the Middle East. He's an ex-soldier. He's home cos he got shot. That hardly makes him man in a suit material...

Even as I speak to you I'm working on another Modern Heat. Now at this point I'm going for out and out fantasy money. My hero is the eldest son in an uber-rich family. They split their time between New York and Martha's Vineyard and the Hamptons. BUT he's the black sheep, at the start of the book he's the returning prodigal. And he turns up on a honking beast of a motorcycle with a bad-boy attitude and a genius I.Q. that means he doesn't suffer fools gladly. He's sexy as the day is long in my opinion. BUT which fantasy does he fulfill? I like to hope a little of all of them. He's certainly doing it for me ;)

Romance novels tap into our fantasy's, plain and simple. And the fact there are so many authors delving into a hint of their own fantasy's to bring something we swoon over to the page means those fantasy's are diverse, right? So let's have a joint confession session...

What does it for you?

You all know I like a guy with a sense of humor, we discussed that the last time I was here. But what about the 'category of hero' - suited businessman or blue collar guy - cowboy or man in uniform - royalty or sheikh - single parent or bad-boy rebel??? Is he 100% removed from what you look for in real life or an exaggerated version of the man of your dreams? Or is he exactly the kind of guy you're holding out for in real life and have yet to find? Fess up. You're amongst friends ;) What's your fantasy guy?

Now just to prove I'm never put off a challenge I'm gonna offer a copy of Her Bedroom Surrender to one lucky commenter who I'll select next week. I've had no success with this thus far but I'm game to try again if you are...

To find out more about Trish and her books you can visit her Website or Her Blog

Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld

When I sat down to write the first Lords of the Underworld book, The Darkest Night, I knew that I wanted to write about the grim reaper, knew he had a group of friends and they lived in Budapest. Oh, yeah, and Pandora’s box would play a part. I got three chapters into the story – dying heroine determined to steal the box, hero supposed to take her soul to hell but can’t -- and realized I’d gone in the wrong direction. Nothing was working for me and every word had to be pulled from me (painfully). So I ditched those chapters and started over.

Before I tell you how the new chapters began to formulate in my mind, I’ll admit that I’m not a plotter. Usually I know only the bare bones about a story when I sit down to write it and everything falls into place as I progress. I realized, though, that I couldn’t do that with these new books. The complex world building would require some type of solid foundation on my part, right from the beginning. So I set out to get to know the warriors.

I had to ask myself why Lucien, the incarnation of death, had been chosen to be a grim reaper, why he and his friends had isolated themselves in Budapest, who those friends where, why they hung around him, what purpose they served, and so on.

The answers delighted me. They had once been warriors to the gods but stole and opened Pandora’s box, unleashing the demons inside. The gods then cursed them to host a demon inside their bodies. Demons like Death, Violence, Lies, Misery, Doubt, Disease, Disaster, Wrath, Pain (and many more)

The warrior possessed by Violence fascinated me most.
Maybe because he was the most tortured of all. Crazed by the demon, he killed Pandora and was given a second curse: to die every night as he killed her, only to awaken the next morning knowing he had to die again later. I was obsessed with him. I had to meet his heroine and witness his journey to happily ever after.

It was a book I couldn’t walk away from. I had to know what happened. When I finished, I finally got to write Death’s story (The Darkest Kiss) the way it needed to be told (as it turned out, his heroine was not a human, but was indeed marked for death. She’s the goddess of Anarchy, and his opposite in every way.

Old school meets new school and I’ve never had more fun with a story.) I followed that book with the warrior possessed by Pain and forbidden to know pleasure (The Darkest Pleasure). And now, I’m working on the fourth book in the series, Doubt’s story (The Darkest Whisper). His heroine is. . . unlike anyone I’ve ever written. I’m loving her! She’s just what he needed, though he had no idea he needed it LOL

I hope you’ll join me on this journey through the Underworld! For more information about the books, visit: http://www.lordsoftheunderworld.net/

Gena
http://www.genashowalter.com/

Hermit or Broad Minded? - Donna Alward

I'll admit, I could probably be a hermit very easily.

When life gets hectic, there's nothing I crave more than quiet, and space, and peace. We're moving soon, and while I may not have a travel budget for a while, I've said many times that the ability to sit on my deck in the morning, listening to the birds, drinking coffee and booting up the laptop will be a teensy bit of heaven. Lucky for me, that's in the cards for the future as we're moving to a whole new part of the country and have bought a lovely house where I'll have room to breathe.

So perhaps it sound strange to think that I'm also very broad minded. I have a lot of interests. And I can do both - just because I don't want my life "cluttered" doesn't mean I'm not curious, or intrigued by things.

I think this is a common plight of many writers. Many of us are introverts - we get our energy from solitude, rather than crowds. It's why we're good people watchers. It doesn't mean we're shy, or don't like people at all, it just means we don't need the hustle and bustle to be happy. Even when I was a stay at home mom, I never got cabin fever. I loved being in my little corner of my universe.

At the same time, there are so many things I find interesting. I'd love to own a restaurant. I'd like to learn to ride a motorbike. I want to travel...to see and learn new things. The problem is, with interests that varied, it would be impossible to actually DO it all, wouldn't it?


Well...this is why writing is the perfect profession. I can explore all those new things without necessarily having to leave my home. Even doing research first hand, it means an afternoon or day or two away, not a whole career change. I get to meet new and exciting people, and I truly do enjoy talking to them about what they do. Closeting myself in a room and working on a book doesn't translate into me putting all my eggs in one basket, just the opposite! What it does is gives me the freedom to explore rather than doing the same job day after day after day. It spawns ideas, sometimes so many I can't possibly keep up.

I go to my office and write each day, but one day I might be a single mum trying to do her best for her daughter, like in The Soldier's Homecoming, or a widow running her own business, like Maggie in Falling For Mr Dark and Dangerous. I can be a reluctant Princess determined to have one last bit of normalcy in her life, like in my January 09 release, The Rancher's Runaway Princess. The first book I ever had published - The Girl Most Likely with Samhain - let me explore how fun it would be to own a restaurant. I can be a rancher, a soldier, or a Marshal...I can be anything, as long as I put myself in the shoes of my characters. The very idea of going to work and doing the same thing day in and day out simply terrifies me! What other profession lets you live quite so vicariously?

I suppose the exception would be acting, but luckily I can work in my yoga pants and hair elastics and not have to worry about my looks as it's all in my mind, lol!

Anyway, my point is that the craving for peace and quiet does not mean a still mind...in fact I'd argue it's an overactive mind needing the quiet to balance it!

What about you? Are you a hermit? (Please don't tell me I'm barking mad!) What's your perfect prescription for that balance?

Donna
http://www.donnaalward.com/

A Knight's Reward: A Medieval For the Modern Reader - Catherine Kean

Writing medieval romances, such as my latest release A Knight's Reward, is a challenge—and not just because I set my stories hundreds of years in the past. My task as a writer is to make my characters as true to the late 12th century as possible, but also appealing to the modern reader. I guess it's fair to say I ask my readers to don on a pair of those famous "rose colored glasses." I mean, would you want to read about a knight who has no teeth because they decayed and fell out, who bathes once a year (if that), and eats stewed cabbage almost every day of his life?

I sense a flurry of shudders. But fear not. My heroes and heroines have all of their teeth, bathe regularly, eat cabbage only when integral to a scene, and are young and attractive. Especially the heroes. This is, after all, a romance novel.

Take Dominic de Terre from A Knight's Reward, book two of my Knight's Series; the first book, A Knight's Vengeance, is the story of Dominic's best friend and lord Geoffrey de Lanceau. Dominic is a strong, handsome alpha male (my favorite to write!) with a wry sense of humor and fierce loyalties. A knight who fought on crusade, Dominic knows how to vanquish opponents in battle. But, the true romance hero must also win wars of the heart—and I give him one for which he must fight dearly. While on a mission to find a stolen cloth shipment belonging to de Lanceau, he sees the only woman he every loved but lost when he left for crusade: Gisela Anne Balewyne. Now he's found her again, he's determined to win her love, this time forever. However, she's married and has a young son. And, for some reason, she's afraid to trust him.

Gisela still loves Dominic, but she's no fragile, swooning damsel. She's a hunted runaway who fled her abusive husband to protect her child, who Dominic later discovers is his illegitimate son. Gisela's a scarred survivor, a warrior in her own right, who puts her love for her child and Dominic above her own needs and happiness. I think she's one of the strongest heroines I've written, and the most forthright. She knew how the climactic scene in A Knight's Reward must play out and told me so very early on in the writing process.

Would her story really have ended as it did in the late 12th century? Part of the fun of writing romance is exploring the possibility of "what it?" And since, as an author, I have my own pair of rose colored glasses that see nothing but happily-every-after endings, I let Gisela have her way and let Dominic win her heart.

And no, there was no cabbage-eating involved.

Catherine


For more information on Catherine's medieval romances, visit her website

danger's kiss

Hello, dear readers...

I have a book coming out this week (woohoo!), and there’s nothing that excites an author as much as the arrival of their “baby.” My little bundle of joy, DANGER’S KISS, will arrive on May 1st. I hope you’ll forgive me if I gush like a new mother.

If you’re as much as fan of medieval romance as I am, you know the plots often involve Lady So-and-So being forced to wed Lord What’s-His-Name for political gain. But what about the rest of the folk--the butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker--the commoners who were free to marry for love?

Sometimes, instead of Brad and Angelina, I’d like to hear about the courtship of John the trucker and Mary the Kindergarten teacher. That’s what inspired me to write DANGER’S KISS. I wanted to weave a tale I could relate to, where the hero and heroine don’t live in an ivory tower, don’t dine on sweetmeats, and don’t always play nice.

DANGER’S KISS is sort of a Sheriff of Nottingham meets The Artful Dodger adventure in which Nicholas Grimshaw, upstanding officer of the law, living happily alone in his thatched cottage, makes the mistake of taking mercy upon a beautiful scam artist by the name of Desiree and, instead of hanging her for her thievery, indentures her as his servant.

Sleight of hand and sleight of heart ensue as the two clash over what’s right versus what’s just, and moral lines become blurred as lawman and outlaw fall recklessly in love. Yet in the end, these two simple folk prove more honorable than their superiors as they work together to foil a nefarious noblewoman’s treacherous scheme.

To research DANGER’S KISS, I mingled with a great bunch of peasants--medieval reenactors with fascinating “lives” who were delighted to share their stories. In fact, a marvelous magician named Silvermane showed me the clever sleight of hand tricks that Desiree uses in the book!

Here’s my trailer. Turn up the volume, and enjoy:



I hope you find DANGER’S KISS an earthy, refreshing glimpse into medieval times, and I’m wagering the romance and adventure will keep you up all night! Let me know if it did at www.sarahmckerrigan.com.



Sarah McKerrigan...
Stories to keep you up all night!
LADY DANGER - Riding to the rescue April 2006
CAPTIVE HEART - Coming for you October 2006
KNIGHT'S PRIZE - Stealing your heart April 2007
DANGER'S KISS - Flirting with trouble May 2008

Author Trivia - Lee Hyat

Hi, this month's author trivia is about an author I've only just recently discovered and everything I know about her personality so far, I really like. Her books are pretty amazing too but I like the author because she makes me laugh. And that's always a good thing. :)

So, here are my clues:

* She grew up in Pasedena, CA.

* She graduated from John Muir High School.

* She dropped out of college

* Her latest book is out in the UK this month (April 08)

* Her first book (2005) was inspired by Lucky Charms cereal, non-fat milk and SHAPE magazine.

* The first book she ever read cover to cover was Alice Walker's THE COLOR PURPLE.

* She's attending the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

* Her current book is about a pastry chef who is the daughter of a living legend novelist...

Can you guess the author and the title of her latest book?

Please email your answers to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com and mark the subject 'Author Trivia'. I'll be picking three winners in a week's time and each will receive a copy of this author's new book.

Good luck!

Lee

Just Wanted to Introduce Myself

Hi! This is my very first post here at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs, so I thought I'd start by introducing myself. My name is Tracy Wolff and I am pretty new to the romance writing world. My first Spice Brief, No Apologies, came out at eharlequin this past February and my first novel, A Christmas Wedding, will be a November 2008 Harlequin Superromance Release. My first two erotic suspense novels-- Full Exposure and Primal Obsession-- will hit the shelves starting in January of 2009.

Besides writing, I am the mother of three very rambunctious little boys, wife to the Alpha hero of my dreams and a writing professor at my local college. Which, actually, leads me nicely to the topic of this post.

The semester is coming to an end (twelve days and counting-- can you tell I'm just a tad bit excited?) and this brings up one of my favorite times of year-- summer vacation. Now, I know, in parts of the country it is barely spring, but here in Texas, where I am currently living, we're working at ending spring and heading straight into summer. The days are longer-- and hotter (we're averaging mid to high 80s every day around here), the flowers are in full-bloom and there's an air of expectation wherever I go. It's the same air of expectation I've lived with every year of my life since kindergarten-- you see, teachers never measure the year from January to December. For us, it's like it always was-- August or September to May or June, depending on what part of the country we're in. And after twelve years in the profession, I'm certainly no different.

So as I look forward to the end of classes and the beginning of free time (except, of course, for a looming deadline or two) I can't help but reflecting on what I love about summer.

As a child, I adored summer because it meant long afternoons in the pool, trips to amusement parks, ice cream cones and time off with my mom, who was also a teacher. As an adult-- and the mother of three young children-- I find myself looking forward to summer for much the same reasons. I love spending time with my boys-- though after a few weeks the incessant fighting wears just a little bit thin ;) I love hanging out at the pool, though I do more chasing and catching and splashing than I do swimming anymore. And I love getting summer treats, though my boys have recently traded ice cream cones for snowcones-- which is fine with me as I find I've become quite addicted to the lime flavored ones. As for amusement parks, we did Disneyland, Universal Studios, Sea World, and the SD Zoo and Wild Animal Parks last year so I pretty much figure I'm safe if we take this summer off.

I also like backyard barbecues with my friends, getting pedicures, buying a new sundress or two and generally having time to just wallow in being me. During the semester, things get so frantic between my kids and my classes,my office hours and essay grading and book writing, that sometimes I forget to stop and smell the daisies. This summer I plan on smelling a lot of daisies and hope the same can be said for all of you.

So what are your summer plans? Anyone going on an exciting trip? Anyone just planning on hanging out at home? I'd love to hear how others plan on spending my favorite time of year.

OF MICE & MEN (And Rats & Sex & Cheese) by Jenny Gardiner

I heard an interview recently in which an author was promoting her new book about sex. Sorry, I totally forget the name of the book. But I do recall what she said about a few studies in which they tested rats (or was it mice?) while they were getting it on.

Now first off, there is something particularly unseemly about being a voyeur to rat fornication. On so many levels. Not the least of which is because rodents having sex = more rodents on the horizon. And those rodents will then have sex, and so on and so on. Having fended off my share of mouse infestations in my day, I do believe that anything involving rodent procreation should be vigorously avoided at all costs.

But also, ick! Little teeny rats (or worse yet, large fat black ones like from the movie Ben), doing the nasty in a laboratory simply evokes a sense of repulsion in me. Especially when I learned that one of the tests they performed involved the rats donning polyester pants---miniature rodent disco-wear!---so that researchers could determine the effect of polyester on sperm count.

I wonder who drew the short straw to have to count the rat sperm? And probably worse yet, who had to ensure there was rat sperm to count? I know I'd have volunteered immediately to whip up a few dozen pair of the tiny pants on my sewing machine at home---far, far away from the lab---thus assiduously avoiding the rat-wanking job.

In case you were wondering, polyester did decrease sperm count. So there you go, Tony Manero Rat. Disco must be dead for a reason.

But the test that most amused me involved rats in the midst of doing it---in the heat of passion, if there is such thing as rodent ardor---only to have the scientists introduce a diversion.

So there the mice/rats/whatever were, in lock-and-load mode, when the researchers dropped in some yummy cheese to see what would happen. While the boy rats just kept on doing the nasty, the girl rats? Well, consider it the "filing-your-nails-while-in-the-missionary-position" tactic. Yes, they were far more girls interested in chomping cheese than getting some lovin' from their man. They walked away in flagranto delicto! Talk about coitus interruptus! All for a little Velveeta.

I suspect we human females have something in common with our rodent cousins. And it's not whiskers (as long as there's electrolysis at our disposal), nor twitching pink noses, nor a long icky tail. None of that. And we don't particularly crave cheese. You see, women don't want a wham-bam-thank-you-rat experience. They want to be wooed. Wined and dined, made to feel wanted, to feel as if they are the most important thing in the world to their man. Sure, any old creature can get it on. But copulation without representation is not the goal. Well, you know what I mean. Sex without passion, without amore, without a modicum of emotion, (dare I say) adoration, and certainly respect. I'd say most of us would take the cheese over that. Most days, at any rate.

Any old rodent can have a quickie on the petrie dish (that would be the rat version of doing it on the kitchen table). But when it comes to making love, perhaps a lot of men can learn from this rat survey, and figure out how to appeal to the cheese-lover in us gals.

Jenny

http://www.jennygardiner.net/

What Brings In The Spring Season - Michelle Monkou

Spring has sprung. We take the seasons for granted because every year, they come rolling in around the same time. Just as predictable are the behavior of people. There are a few things that mark this season, such as:

Spring cleaning - Where we make bold plans to de-clutter, actually move the furniture to get those dust bunnies, wash the curtains, dust the places above eye level. I said "plan," not actually accomplish. I did manage the de-clutter, but guess what, there were spores that exploded creating another generation of...stuff. I have three boxes of books that include my advance copies, books for contest give-aways, and books I've ordered online. Then my son rests his skateboard against one box. His father drops his knee support over it after he works out. My daughter rests her backpack against everything and quickly the pile grows.

Diets - Yep, I used the darn D-word again this year. Every morning I throw myself off the side of the bed and crawl over to get my workout clothes on before the side that wants back into the bed wins. I walk for 30-40 mins or for 2 miles - don't bother to calculate, it's rougly 18 min miles. I'm a work-in-progress, leave me alone. At the beginning of the year, I worked out twice a day. Now I'm at once a day, but at least it's every day. Notice I haven't mentioned the D-word. And I'm not gonna.

Goals & Resolutions - I had grand writing goals. I met some of them. But I've wasted lots of time on the Internet that I've missed several. I'm blogging with nuns, my favorite pasttime. I'm on the phone chatting with my author buddy about the deadlines that are kicking my butt and then 2 hours later after I get off the phone, I'm too tired to write. I'm also an addict of Cold Case Files, 48-hour, DEA, SWAT and any other cop-related reality TV. I wish that I could say it's for research, but it's a morbid fascination of our decaying society. And then I switch to Intervention so I can cry with the family, while they plead with their loved-ones to go for help. Yep, and I'm still complaining about those looming deadlines.

Conferences & Trips - Spring is the time when conferences spring up like dandelions. And if you attended all of them, you'd be bankrupt. Heck, I can attend one and feel the financial squeeze for months to come. But it's part of the business to network, learn, and research - pretty lofty. But I've got to say, that some also provide the perfect opportunity to just dance my butt off. At Romance Slam Jam, I'm electric sliding until my thighs scream - enough already. At Romance Writers of America's conference, specifically the Harlequin party, I'm in a disco fever zone, especially when they go retro and pull out the 70s, 80s, and other party jams. But it's my once a year thing and next week, I get to go boogie at Slam Jam in Chicago.

Celebrating Releases - but most of all for me in the Spring, this one to be exact, I'm pulling out the tap dance shoes, cane, and bowler hat as I take my show on the road to promote - No One But You: College sweethearts. Sorority Sisters. Overbearing mother. Home-wrecker girlfriend. Sexy. Sensual. Romance. This first in the Ladies of Distinction series is making my Spring a fun one.

Hope your Spring has been inspiring, energizing, and fulfilling.

Michelle

Romantic Times

I live in Erie, PA and when I found out that RT's annual convention was in Pittsburgh, I knew I was making the two hour trip south to go. I planned to go for the whole convention, but due to deadlines, only went for two days, but I planned to make them count!

So, I loaded up Floyd (for those who don't know, I name things....Floyd's my little orange Vibe), plugged in my iPod (who doesn't have a name) and due to my directional inabilities, my GPS (which is actually a function of my PDA, Minerva) and hit the road very early on Friday.

With Minerva's help, I made it into Pittsburgh and arrived at the hotel. I was in the overflow hotel, the Omni, and they were great. My room was ready at seven-thirty am. So after I stowed my luggage, I headed to the Hilton.

At ten, I had a panel workshop on series romance. It was fantastic (Anna DeStefano was the captain and did a great job putting it together)! One question threw me. Did we write category as a first choice, or was it a fallback. It was nicely asked. When I talked to the woman afterwards, she said she'd never really considered writing category romance until our panel, and after listening to us, she was quite enthusiastic about the idea! Anyway, to answer the question...writing series romance was my first choice! I originally wanted Duets, and have been fortunate to continue writing for Harlequin since that line closed!

Right after the two-hour panel, it was the awards lunch! I sat with two award winners...Molly O'Keefe who won the Reviewers Choice for best Superromance of '07, and Hannah Howell, who was honored as a romance pioneer! And my book, The House on Briar Hill Road won the Reviewers Choice Award for best Harlequin Everlasting of '07!! This was truly a book of my heart, and my first non-humor/comedy, so the honor was so very appreciated.

The rest of the day was a blur. I met a bunch of friends. I ended up at Heather Graham's Vampire Ball, sitting with Kerrilyn Sparks. I didn't get a pic. Here's the thing, I ALWAYS take my camera, and so very rarely forget to pull it out and take the pics! SIGH. But trust me, she looked lovely!

The next day, I bummed around with more friends until the booksigning. It was a blast! So many old friends (old in terms of length of time I've known them, not that they're old!) and new friends stopped by!

Afterwards, I went out to lunch with friends...well, two lunches with two friends! LOL I really wanted to stay for the Dorchester party (I heard wonderful things afterwards) but Floyd, Minerva and I were beat. So we headed back to Erie! But as always, Romantic Times was a blast! Next year it's in Florida. Sounds good to me, though Floyd and Minerva will be depressed that I don't need them to come, too! LOL

*********************************************************************************

I've got five books coming out, starting in August, so this is a busy travel season for me! I was in New York in March, now RT in April. I'll be at Cleveland RWA's conference in May, then a family vacation to DC and Williamsburg, VA in June, and finally RWA's National Conference in San Francisco in July and August.

So, how about you? Any travel plans for the summer season??

Holly

PS I added the "**" because the formatting kept skewing and I couldn't make paragraphs stick. Just wanted to break up the read!